RUCK UP OR SHUT UP

Chapter 1: Introduction

Why did I write this book?

Two reasons – misinformation and duty.

Special Forces Assessment and Selection (SFAS or simply Selection) remains a bit of an enigma. This is deliberate. We don’t want everyone to know everything. It should be a little bit mysterious.  Selection is designed to be a high barrier to entry into the Special Forces Regiment, so it makes good sense to not tell everyone exactly what to expect. But we (‘we’ being the SF Regiment, the Special Warfare Center and School, the powers that be, etc.) should be diligent in managing the messaging about Selection. We are not. We seem content to let the narrative manage itself. This is a bad idea.

Allowing the narrative around SFAS to develop organically has proven to be a disaster. There are a couple of reasons for this. This grassroots messaging campaign is run by the least informed people possible; the International Barracks Lawyers Guild, SFAS Non-Select Chapter. We are a victim of our own success in this regard.  Selection is incredibly effective. We manage to successfully screen thousands of high-quality Candidates every year.  This intensive, rigorous, and comprehensive process produces some by-product. Some waste material if you will. Historically, SFAS selects around 36% of Candidates who attend (United States Special Operations Command, 2018). So, 64% of the Candidates that attend don’t get selected. Nearly two-thirds of the people exposed to this unique training environment leave with a likely bad-taste in their mouth. What happens to them?  They go back to their units, right back into our prime recruiting source, and start talking.

And what do these disgruntled Barracks Lawyers have to say? Whatever they want, because we haven’t produced a cohesive messaging campaign to establish the true story. What do we expect them to say? That they tried their hardest and their very best wasn’t good enough? Do we expect them to confess that it is their fault that they didn’t make it? That they were treated entirely fairly, and the standards were just too high? Do we really believe that human nature would allow this? Or will they say things like “I don’t know, man. They’re just all fucked up out there at Camp Mackall.”  I think we have all heard the stories. I certainly have. I have had multiple unsuccessful Candidates earnestly tell me that they didn’t get selected because the Cadre didn’t like their tattoos. Or that the Officers have higher standards than the Enlisted. Or that the National Guard is hurting for bodies so they’re just letting everyone in. Or that they’re not combat arms, or they’re a minority, or they’re not a Ranger, or…or…or. You get the picture.

Can you imagine that? Can you imagine the perverted sense of standards that would allow a Cadre to just declare that he didn’t want that guy to get through SFAS because of his ink? What would the reaction of fellow Cadre or leadership be if we just declared that only combat arms or only Rangers were allowed? Less than half of the Cadre have Ranger tabs themselves, and it is purely insulting to think that we would allow bigotry to influence our decisions. I simply cannot fathom why any reasonable person would accept the narrative that SFAS is so compromised that this sort of dereliction of duty occurs.

But that’s the narrative. The least successful and least informed amongst us, the non-selects, are driving the messaging about SFAS. I spent two years conducting an exhaustive study of SFAS and in that process I interviewed hundreds and hundreds of Candidates. Every single Candidate that I interviewed, without exception, shared that they expected and were fully prepared to see strong biases from the Cadre. They had heard the narrative that the Guild of Idiots had carefully crafted prior to arriving at Camp Mackall and were ready for the inevitable shit show. But not one, not a single successful Candidate, could cite a single instance of unfair treatment, bias, favoritism, or prejudice. Everyone expected it, but no one experienced it. Imagine that. That is a powerful message. But that’s just one-third of the population.

The other two-thirds were a different story. They were mostly confused. In most cases they knew why they didn’t get selected. Maybe not the precise standard that they didn’t meet, but they knew why in general terms. For many it doesn’t matter. This is a crisis for this Soldier. He was working towards a goal, a dream even, and he didn’t make it. He is going to have a natural, and frankly predictable, response. He is going to blame something or someone else. I personally witnessed innumerable Candidates that had just hours prior quit Selection, and then say they “got screwed.” A Candidate would walk up to a Cadre and say, “Sergeant, I Voluntarily Withdraw,” out-loud, in front of God and Country, and then saunter back to the barracks and bold-face claim to his peers that he got screwed. The drop-out barracks are a den of lies and deception. They are the norm.

The drop out barracks are the primordial birthplace of the Barracks Lawyers Guild. It is here where the narrative begins, unchecked. Rumors start, biases are confirmed, and narratives are shaped. Candidates rally around each other to console and appease. It starts with, “I don’t know why,” and soon migrates to something darker. Before long, it is vitriol and outright fabrications. These spokespeople return to their units, directly into our target recruiting population, and tell their lies.

Because there is no counter-narrative, no facts, this story becomes the truth. Who is going to challenge this account?  The potential recruits back in the operational force rely on word of mouth to understand SFAS. The aggrieved becomes the expert and his falsehoods become the reality. You might be surprised to learn how many Candidates claimed they were a medical drop.  That is an honorable defeat, after all. You wanted to continue but your body just broke, and the Cadre made a medical decision to prevent you from doing irreparable damage to yourself. You can leave with your head held high. You probably would not be surprised to learn that the actual medical drop rates are incredibly low. Less than 5% of Candidates are medically dropped from SFAS.

Social media has made this even more challenging. A lie can be half-way around the world before the truth ever puts his ruck on. Unfortunately, we seem to be content leaving our rucks untouched. I am all for being the Quiet Professional, but we are entirely silent. You can anonymously make a wild claim about Selection and the only evidence required is, “because I said so.” But something interesting is happening. In the midst of my years long research project, the Cadre started to properly out-counsel dropped Candidates. Candidates were told why they were dropped. A formal one-on-one session with a senior Cadre member. A dropped Candidate may not be told the specific standard that he failed to meet, but he was told a reason. Almost instantly the information environment in the drop-out barracks changed. It was no longer feasible to be so blatant in the self-deceit, let alone the open lies. He knew why he didn’t make it, and everyone else knew that he knew.  And it certainly was not because of his tattoos. Not every class gets the same level of out-brief, but it is slowly changing. 

Even better, some Candidates reported incredibly positive out-brief sessions. Cadre actually thanked Candidates for attending. Shook their hands, looked them in the eye, and thanked them. Why shouldn’t they?  We invited them to come to SFAS. We asked them to be here. They volunteered, but we screened their packets and told them that we wanted to take a better look at them. We recruited them. We sent them orders to come to Camp Mackall. This is an honorable exchange with noble intentions. If the Candidate didn’t lie, cheat, or steal then we should uphold that honor. They didn’t make it. So what? Most don’t. There is no dishonor in this. Wouldn’t it be acceptable to have them come back and try again? Wouldn’t it be best to have them return to the operational force with a positive message. A message that SFAS is hard, but fair.  You will be tested, but you’ll be treated with decency and respect. The truth.

We should combine this grassroots message with an official public information campaign that highlights the realities of SFAS, without giving away the standards. This is not an insurmountable task. But instead, we simply don’t engage at all.  We just use hope as a method.  We hope that the right message will be sent.  We hope that the right guys will come.  We hope that we can build and sustain the force. How is this working out for us so far?  Are we meeting our recruiting goals? Are we satisfied with the current information environment? Are we pleased that most of the force thinks we are arrogant assholes with an agenda and no standards?

I’m not satisfied. So, that’s one reason why I wrote this book.

The other reason is duty. I acknowledge that this is a loaded statement. In many circles it is considered vulgar to say that you love America. Someone who seeks to serve is often seen as a rube. It has somehow become awkward to admit that you are elite. Meritocracy is seen as bigotry. But I find this attitude disgraceful. I love America and all its blessings. I am deeply humbled and profoundly honored to be a Green Beret. The Regiment has given me far more than I could ever give it. It is not an easy life, but it is a worthy one. A life of purpose. So, I say this with complete sincerity. 

You have a duty. 

If you are one of the few people who are capable of earning the Green Beret, then you have a duty to do so. There are few who can. The Pentagon reports that 77% of Americans between 17-24 aren’t even eligible to serve because they are too fat, too dumb, or too lawless. They use nicer phrasing, but that is the reality. Of the less than 1% of Americans who do serve, even fewer are eligible to apply for Special Forces. There simply are not many people who even meet the bare minimum requirements. And then there is Selection. SFAS is a massive barrier to entry. It is nearly insurmountable.

Selection is designed to be, well…selective. We measure everything. We poke and prod. We challenge and record. We test and quantify. We judge. We are harsh critics with a keen eye, and we make you earn it. We have standards. Immovable standards. We haven’t really changed our standards, ever. If you successfully emerge from the Pinelands of Camp Mackall, you will know that you have done something special.  Something very few people can do. So, if you are one of the few who can, then you have a duty to try. I want you to know that you will be given a fair shot. We need you, and I suspect that you need us. So, I am writing this book to tell you all of this in plain language.

Bona Fides

Who am I? Why do I get to represent SFAS on these pages? Who appointed me to be the spokesman for the Green Beret?

Well, I am a Green Beret.  I joined the Army in 1991 and after commissioning and a tour as a Cavalry officer I attended SFAS in 1997. I served in the 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) and later in the Joint Special Operations Command. I retired out of the United States Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School (USAJFKSWCS or SWCS) in 2013 as a Lieutenant Colonel.  I did all the cool guy schools and all the deployments. Of my two decades on active duty, I spent most of them away from my home and my family. I have an impressive shadow box of badges, tabs, and awards and fond memories of a worthy career.

While serving at SWCS I had oversight over SFAS. I use the word oversight specifically because it means something. During my time at SWCS I had a large portfolio. I was entrusted with leading SWCS’s Education, Regional Studies and Culture, and Human Dynamics efforts. I earned the trust of senior leadership and SFAS was a bit of a homeless entity, so it came under my oversight. This was during a critical phase in its development. All of SWCS, but especially the Special Forces pipeline, was subjected to a significant effort to realign the generating force with what the operating force of the future required. A strategic reckoning.

So SWCS was digging into every nook and cranny of what we did, how we did it, and most importantly why we did it. We realized that we were sprinting so fast to keep up with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan that we had allowed many unnecessary things to sneak into the pipeline. SFAS was a critical component in this discussion, even though it remained largely unchanged since its creation. I was fortunate that the SFAS Commander and Sergeant Major were incredibly talented, and I quickly realized my best play was to listen to them, get them the resources they needed, and otherwise stay out of the way. But while doing this, I learned. While the SFAS Cadre asked and answered the tough questions about what we did, what it measured, and why we did it, I learned.  I got to weigh in on key decisions and shape some elements, but the effort was much bigger than me. What emerged is the current SFAS, largely unchanged, but now quantified and understood. We always knew that SFAS worked, but now we knew why.

And then I retired. I went on to finish my Doctorate and my dissertation research was centered on SFAS. I put my degree to good use. I worked for the National Defense University at SWCS and used my newly honed research and analytical skills to continue to study SFAS from the inside. I have conducted hundreds of hours of SFAS observation, hundreds of interviews of Candidates, Cadre, and Commanders, and I have seen every bit of the data that we collect. I know all the methodology, all the factor analysis, and all the standards. My notes include copies of the training schedule, SFAS atmospherics, data management practices, and assessment metrics. I talk to Cadre and Candidates almost every day. I know what goes on at Camp Mackall and more importantly I understand what it means. I would not say that I am the expert in SFAS, but I am certainly an expert in SFAS.

I also recognize that I signed a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) specifying that I would not reveal any secrets. So, while I will describe a great deal about how you can prepare for SFAS, I will not tell you any secrets about SFAS. All the rules matter all the time and I intend to honor my obligations. But there is already a great deal published about Selection.  There is a plethora of junk out there. Well-meaning Podcasts and cringeworthy motivational videos are common. Clickbait articles, conjecture, opinion, and outright disinformation abounds. Internet forums are packed with guys that know a guy or heard from another guy. Wisdom of the ancients. That stuff is typically useless. Most of the useful data is buried in academic articles. The academic material is a bit hard to translate and it needs a lot of context to really be useful. But it is accurate. It is endorsed by SWCS. And it is not covered by the NDA.

So, I intend to use my decades of education and experience, my unique placement and access, and my research and writing skills to help battle some of the misinformation about SFAS. The truth is much more compelling than the narrative.  And it might help you to do your duty.  It might just help you get selected.

Who Is This Book For?

  This book is for the Special Forces Regiment, present and future. The Brotherhood should know that despite the tale that SWCS has somehow lost control over the pipeline, that standards have eroded, and that the Green Beret is but a shell of what it once meant, none of that is true. Special Forces Assessment and Selection is as hard as it has ever been. I have seen the evidence, all the evidence, and I can attest that the standards have not changed. In fact, I would assess that Selection is harder than ever. Read on if you want to know why. I have walked countless miles and watched countless events and talked to countless people. I have two decades of dedicated study of SFAS. I have investigated every claim that I could and looked in every corner of Camp Mackall. My Brothers, I can affirm that the Green Beret remains a symbol of excellence, a badge of courage, and a mark of distinction in the fight for freedom.

This book is also for the hopeful few who will dare to try. There is a rare breed of American who wants to serve. They feel the burden of duty. They know that a life of grand purpose is possible. They may not know what a Green Beret really does or precisely what it takes to earn the coveted title, but they feel the intense need to test their mettle. They want to be part of the Brotherhood. I have included in this book a section just for the young aspiring teenager who is looking for something more. I would encourage everyone to carefully read this section as well, as it will tell you a great deal about what type of society we must endeavor to foster if we want to sustain this great Nation. This assessment is not an opinion, it is based on the empirical data of what we look for in Special Forces Candidates.

Most importantly this book is for those who are ready to make the commitment. You have done the research, you have talked to your family, and you are ready to begin your journey. You know you want to test yourself, but you don’t know where to start. The good news is that if you are reading this book then you are headed in the right direction. Keep reading. Then ruck up, we have work to do.